Comminuting pump



May 25, 1965 R. T. SECREST COMMINU'IING PUMP Filed Sept. 10, 1962INVENTOR. RALPH T. SECREST ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,185,100 (IQUTWG PUlVfl Ralph T. Secrest, Rt). Box 322, Elma, Wash. Filed Sept. 10,1962, Ser. No. 222,511 2 Claims. (Cl. 163-96) This invention relates tonew and useful improvements in pump structures and more particularly isconcerned with a pump unit which is adapted simultaneously to pump aliquified mass and to reduce any coarse material in the mass to a finestate.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a pump whichdue to its novel structure is elficient in operation for the pumping andcomrninution of a liquified mass.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide apump having improved structure which facilitates suspension thereof intoa liquified mass to be pumped and reduced; to provide a pump whichemploys a novel blade structure as combined with a shear plate forreducing coarse material in the mass; and to provide a pump which hasthe inlet and outlet thereof closely located and disposed on theperipheral Wall of a pump chamber for maximum efficiency.

It is another object to provide a pump which is simple in structure andinexpensive to manufacture.

Briefly stated, the present pump is adapted to be suspended or omerwisesupported in a tank or the like containing a liquefied mass to be pumpedand is'particularly useful for the simultaneous reduction or comminutionof coarse material in the mass. This pump includes a housing in which isincorporated a novel arrangement of cutter or impeller blades adapted topump and reduce material and due to their structure and arrangementcontribute to the efiicient operation of the pump. Importantly, theinlet to the pump housing is closely located to the outlet to increasepumping efficiency, and the pump also incorporates other structuralmeans which contribute to its efficiency such as confining means toprevent coarse material from getting between working parts and aparticular cutter blade shape for cutting and transferring material tothe outlet.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects willbecome apparent from the following specification and claims, consideredtogether with the accompanying drawings, wherein the numerals ofreference indicate like parts and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a first form of the present pumpwith parts thereof being broken away for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a second form of the present pump;and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4.

The present pump has as one important use thereof the transferring of aliquified mass from a storage tank or the like to another place and atthe same reducing or comminuting any material which may be in theliquid. For example, it is now common on farms to bury manure disposaltanks in the ground for storage of the manure. When desired, this manureis transferred from the tank to the field. This product most oftencontains straw or other bedding which is difficult to pump and which isimpractical without comminution to spread on the ground, through themedium of liquid spreader means. The present pump is designed to preparemanure for such spreading but of course it may also be used for thepumping and cutting of various other substances.

3,1811% Patented May 25, 1965 ice Referring specifically to thedrawings, the present pump has a housing or casing having a cylindricalside wall portion 10. This housing has a top wall or closure plate 12provided with an integral, upwardly directed, hollow extension 14 suchas a pipe section or hub. Extension 14 comprises a suspending supportfor the housing 10 where by the latter is adapted to be suspended indesired positions in a tank or the like. As apparent in FIG, 1, the hub14 has a reduced threaded extension 16 to which is threadedly connectedan additional length of supporting pipe 18.

Leading through the pipe 18 and hollow extension 14 and rotatablyprojecting into the housing is a shaft 20 which is connected at itsupper end to a power unit, not shown, such as an electric motor. Thesupport pipe 18 and the shaft 20 are of sufficient length such that thepower tmit in a disposal tank of the type above mentioned is mounted onthe upper side thereof. Thus, the suspended pump may be several feetfrom its power unit, with the pump suspended adjacent the bottom of thetank or at any intermediate point between the bottom and top of thetank. An antifriction bearing 21 for the shaft is mounted in the hub 14and stabilizes the projecting end of the shaft. A packing seal 22engageable with the shaft is provided in the pump housing adjacent thebearing 21.

Contained within the housing is a cutter blade or impeller assembly 24comprising a hub or rotor 26 having a central bore 28 for integralattachment of the shaft 29 thereto as by set screws 23.

The lower end of the housing has a removable closure plate 29. Thisplate has an upwardly directed hub 3% which provides a bearing supportfor the impeller assembly and incorporates a bearing bushing 31 forreceiving a projecting bottom end of shaft 20.

As best apparent in FIG. 3, the blade assembly includes a top annularflange 32. This flange has a diameter only slightly smaller than theinterior diameter of the housing so that it operates at a closetolerance therewith and therefore confines any coarse material in theliquid therebelow to prevent such material from getting between rotatingparts and hindering rotation of the blade assembly.

Mounted on the hub 26 are cutter blades 34, three of which are shown ina preferred arrangement, although it is to be understood that more orless blades may be utilized. Each of the blades has a first segment 36leading from the hub and a second segment 38 leading angularly from thefirst segment 36, the angular direction of the segment 33 being in thedirection of rotation of the blade assembly, i.e., in the direction ofarrow 40.

The outer edges of blades 34 also operate in close tolerance to theinterior surface of the housing as best seen in FIG. 2 and the lower endof hub 26 has an annular flange 42, FIG. 3, to thus form a pumping andcomminuting chamber which confines any coarse material in the liquid,such as straw, to the pump chamber and prevents such material fromgetting between rotating parts.

The housing has an inlet opening 46 and an outlet opening 48 in its sidewall 10, a suitable discharge pipe Sit leading from such outlet opening.

Mounted on the far side edge of the inlet opening 46, as concerning thedirection of rotation of the blade assembly, and extending parallel tothe axis of the hub 26 is a shear plate 54 having a shearing edge 56arranged to cooperate with the outer cutting edges of the blades 34.Material such as straw or other bedding which is drawn into the pump iscomminuted as it enters the pump by the rotating blades 34 cooperatingwith the shear plate. The speed of rotation of the blade assembly issuch as to reduce material in the liquid to a fine state, comprising acondition which permits it to flow freely and be ejected by sprayapparatus. In this regard, when the pump is utilized in connection witha manure disposed tank, the latter is pro- 3 vided with sufficient waterto liquefy the manure. The pump has been found to operate satisfactorilyat approximately 800 r.p.m., although a greater or lesser speed may beused.

In a preferred arrangement, shear plate 54 is supported on a turned backflange portion 58 of the pump chamber wall. This plate has slots 6%extending at right angles to the axis of the hub 26 for receivingattaching screws 62 threaded in the flange portion 53, the slots 69being slightly elongated to facilitate adjustment of the plate 54 withrelation to the edges of the cutter blades 3-4.

As best apparent in FIG. 2, the outlet 48 is located in close proximityto the inlet opening 46. More particularly, the far side or cut-01f edgeof the outlet opening is located about 90 around the side wall of thehousing from the far side edge of the inlet opening in the direction oftravel of the blades 34. Such spacing has been found to contributegreatly to the efiiciency of the pump, although a slightly lesser orgreater spacing may be used.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a modified form of shear plate andcutter blade assembly is illustrated. In

this embodiment, a shear plate 54a, which is connected to the housing ina manner similar to the FIG. 1 embodiment, has a cutting edge 66angularly disposed with relation to the axis of the hub. Cutting blades34a secured on the rotatable hub are spiraled and their cutting edgesare angled in a direction opposite from that of edge 66 in order thatsaid blades cooperate with the shear plate in a shearing rather than achopping action. Preferably, the cutting edges of members 54a and 34aare angularly disposed such that the meeting angle therebetween is 45".This may be accomplished by oppositely inclining each of the cuttingedges 22 /2 as shown, or by inclining one of them 45. This meeting anglehas been found to contribute to a greater efiiciency and smootheroperation of the pump in that coarse material in the liquified mass issmoothly sheared and not chopped.

The following features contribute to the smooth and eflicient operationof the present pump:

(1) The relative location of the inlet and outlet openings, i.e. on thewall in close proximity, wherein the coarse material in the liquid afterbeing reduced to a finer state is almost immediately discharged ratherthan churned in the pump chamber;

(2) The specific location of the inlet and outlet openings in the pumpchamber, i.e. in the peripheral Wall wherein pumped material is readilyadmitted and discharged;

(3) The angular shape of the cutter and pumping blades 34 in the FIGURE1 embodiment which causes the blades to etliciently reduce coarsematerial and to convey it in liquid suspension to the outlet; and

(4) The upper and lower flange portions 32 and 42 respectively and theclose tolerance of these flanges as well as the blades 34 with the pumpchamber to prevent coarse material from getting between working parts.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention herein shown anddescribed are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and thatvarious other changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A comminuting pump comprising a vertical housing having a cylindricalside Wall and upper and lower closure plates, means secured to saidhousing for suspending the latter in a liquified mass, a rotatable hubcoaxially disposed in said housing, cutter and pumping blades projectingradially from said hub and having outer axially extending cutting edgesdisposed for movement in a path in close proximity to the inner surfaceof said side wall, top and bottom annular flanges secured to said hub atthe top and bottom of said blades to confine coarse material in theliquid being pumped in a pump chamber formed between said annularflanges and the side wall of the housing, said cutting edges extendingbetween said annular flanges, means in said side wall defining spacedinlet and outlet openings providing substantially horizontal intake andoutlet of material to be pumped, said inlet opening having an axiallyextending far side edge in the direction of rotation of the cutter andpumping blades, said outlet opening having a cut-off edge locatedapproximately 90 around the side wall of the housing rom the far sideedge of the inlet opening in the direction of travel of said cutter andpumping blades, and a shear plate on the far side edge of said housingintake and extending axially the full height of said intake opening, andcooperating with the axially extending cutting edges of said cutter andpumping blades to comminute the material being pumped.

2. The comminuting pump of claim 1 wherein the vertical spacing of saidtop and bottom annular flanges is greater than the vertical height ofsaid inlet opening and said axially extending cutting edges of thecutter and pumping blades extend vertically on opposite sides of saidinlet opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,374,533 4/21Stenberg 103-96 2,225,797 12/40 Plauson 24166 2,371,681 3/45 Durdin241-46 2,714,354 8/55 Farrand l03111 2,857,946 10/58 Nikkel 146-l072,968,436 1/61 Coester 230l25 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,160,993 3/58 France.

340,945 10/ 59 Switzerland,

KARL J. ALBRECHT, Primary Examiner.

J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, JOSEPH H. BRANSON,

JR., Exarrziners.

1. A COMMINUTING PUMP COMPRISING A VERTICAL HOUSING HAVING A CYLINDRICALSIDE WALL AND UPPER AND LOWER CLOSURE PLATES, MEANS SECURED TO SAIDHOUSING FOR SUSPENDING THE LATTER IN A LIQUIFIED MASS, A ROTATABLE HUBCOAXIALLY DISPOSED IN SAID HOUSING, A CUTTER AND PUMPING BLADESPROJECTING RADIALLY FROM SAID HUB AND HAVING OUTER AXIALLY EXTENDINGCUTTING EDGES DISPOSED FOR MOVEMENT IN A PATH IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THEINNER SURFACE OF SAID SIDE WALL TOP AND BOTTOM ANNULAR FLANGES SECUREDTO SAID HUB AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID BLADES TO CONFINE COARSEMATERIAL IN THE LIQUID BEING PUMPED IN A PUMP CHAMBER FORMED BETWEENSAID ANNULAR FLANGES AND THE SIDE WALL OF THE HOUSING, SAID CUTTINGEDGES EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ANNULAR FLANGES, MEANS IN SAID SIDE WALLDEFINING SPACED INLET AND OUTLET OPENINGS PROVIDING SUBSTANTIALLYHORIZONTAL INTAKE AND OUTLET OF MATERIAL TO BE PUMPED, SAID INLETOPENING HAVING AN AXIALLY EXTENDING FAR SIDE